Romney lashes GOP rivals

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — After being pounded at the Republican debate Saturday, Mitt Romney struck back hard Sunday against Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Mike Huckabee on multiple fronts, including illegal immigration, taxes and the qualifications for the presidency.

The exchanges, especially between Romney and Huckabee, in Sunday's televised candidate forum from Manchester were some of the most testy and angry of the Republican campaign to date.

Challenged at the outset by Fox News commentator Chris Wallace about his raising of fees while governor of Massachusetts, Romney attacked McCain for voting against President Bush's tax cuts.

McCain shot back that he had spent years crusading against wasteful congressional earmarks, including investigating the corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

"Ask Jack Abramoff, who's in prison today, a guy who was a corrupt lobbyist, and his friends, if I haven't cut spending," McCain said. "I think it was the reason why I wasn't elected Miss Congeniality in the United States Senate."

Romney also turned to Huckabee, saying overall he had raise taxes by more than $500 million in his decade as governor of Arkansas.

"Facts are stubborn things," Romney said.

The two talked over each other for several minutes. Only after Wallace stepped in did the discussion move on.

McCain appeared to try to stay above the fray. But he was drawn in several times, once in an exchange over Romney's promise to bring change to Washington and Romney's portrayal of McCain as a Washington insider.

McCain promoted his "experience in leadership, not just in management," saying he had led his Navy squadron "not for profit but patriotism."

Huckabee repeatedly came to McCain's defense.

"I don't think it is even fair to say that a senator can't be a good president," Huckabee said. "We have had senators who were."

When McCain, 71, was asked about his age, he replied, "I am older than dirt and have more scars than Frankenstein" but insisted that he still had "the vigor."

Huckabee once again leapt to his defense. "I have met his mother," Huckabee chimed in. "Of all the things we can criticize John McCain on, I wouldn't even go there."

Wide open and intense, the race for the GOP nomination has gotten ever tighter ahead of Tuesday's voting. A USA Today/Gallup Poll showed the lead in the Republican race to be within the margin of error in New Hampshire.

McCain had the support of 34 percent of likely voters, up from 27 percent in mid-December. Romney was at 30 percent, down from 34 percent, and Huckabee was third at 13 percent. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani had 8 percent, while former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson was in the low single digits.